Vully
Intro
Vully is the sun-kissed riviera of Lake Murten, opposite the town of Murten. At just 653m, Mont Vully is a fantastic panoramic peak. From its summit, visitors can gaze across vineyards and lakes to the snowy mountains of the Bernese Alps.
The villages on the southern slopes of Mont Vully are traditionally winegrowing areas. The winegrowers of Fribourg and Vaud now produce excellent wines on land which was first planted with vines 2,000 years ago by the Romans. Vully is a small but fine wine region, with 150 hectares of vines, so 1% of Switzerland’s cultivated area. The wine region extends beyond the canton’s border and, since 2011, has been Switzerland’s first intercantonal AOC wine region. The wine festival where local wine can be tasted takes place every year on the second weekend in September.
It is best to approach Vully gently. The journey to Murten by liner is particularly relaxing. On the slopes of Mont Vully, wonderful paths with great views await walkers and hikers. For 13km, the historic trail leads through the smallest of the Swiss winegrowing areas to the largest. On the viticultural trail, the curious can learn everything about the history of winegrowing and the grape varieties found here.
The region is well-suited to anyone who prefers to travel by bike. The Lake Murten region is considered the cradle of the world’s best cycle path network, Veloland Schweiz, and other innovative cycling projects such as slowUp adventure days. The round trip around Lake Murten comes very highly recommended. Mostly flat, the 28km route can be spread out over the day or shortened with a trip on the liner.
History enthusiasts and families can visit the Mont Vully grottos above Môtier. Carved into the sandstone by the Swiss Army during World War One, today they are fascinating sites of discovery. Pack your torch!
There is a wide range of excellent restaurants for visitors in search of something special. A visit to the Vully region is not complete without tasting the eponymous cake. Winegrowers consider Vully cake to be the ideal accompaniment to wine. Whether oven-fresh with a drink, salty, with bacon or almonds or in its original version with caramelised sugar filling the handmade “love hollows” – the cake is a guaranteed treat for every palate.
